Attention Harrisburg School District Community,

As approved by the School Board of the Harrisburg School District, the William Penn building is going through an asbestos removal project and will soon be demolished. The asbestos removal project has made significant progress since June. The internal asbestos removal is complete. The external asbestos removal, which includes caulk and glaze surrounding many windows is now underway and is planned to be complete mid-August. This process involves asbestos removal by certified professionals in a manner that encapsulates the asbestos by plastic, with the removal of the entire window. 

In addition, for the safety of the workers onsite and the surrounding community, the District has hired an asbestos consultant that performs regular asbestos air testing. Between June 2nd and July 10th, 136 asbestos air sampling tests were completed, and no tests have come back positive. This means, no asbestos was found to be above OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 0.1 Fibers per cubic centimeter (F/cc).

The demolition of the William Penn Building is planned to begin on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. The District’s representatives in charge of the project will do their best to control both noise and dust during the demolition process. We understand concerns may arise from the community and encourage anyone to feel free to contact facilities@hbgsd.us with any concerns regarding the project.

The District is also working closely with the Department of Environmental Protection to ensure that the contractors hired for the project are fully compliant with all environmental laws.

We also want to take this time to inform anyone who would like a memento brick from the William Penn building to contact facilities@hbgsd.us, and we will schedule a time for you to pick up a brick from our Annex  Building, located on N. 7th Street. 

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